Hey Sarah! Glad you decided to start welcome to the plan! I hope your second day is going well! I'm still chugging along here. I'm doing this without a coach for financial reasons but getting my packets off ebay. I weigh myself every morning.

Okay, yeah I remember you saying you used alternatives. I barely could afford it either after Christmas and everything. But I just figured you were weighing weekly. I just thought your week mark was coming up!

Thank Ruth Ann! Yes, I know its 4 cups, just meant 2 cups per meal I'm currently still chugging along and found a stir fry I really like with the Walden Farms sesame ginger dressing. So hopefully that will keep my dinners in check at the very least until I find some more ways to get my veggies in!

I stumbled upon the IP program a few days ago. I ran in to a friend who has lost 50lbs on IP. I was looking for something else to try diet wise, that might actually work if I can actually stick to it,lol. This program sounds doable. I'm a lapsed body builder so this isn't my first diet rodeo. Heres hoping this will be my last diet.

Hello and Happy New Year to everyone fighting the good fight with me. I am new to this post, not so new to struggling with weight loss. Uhggg. Big "Thank You" to Ruth Ann for sending me info to find this thread. Good Luck to Everyone.

Evening this is my first post. My bosses wife used this sight and suggested it to me. I started ideal protein before the holidays. I made it for the most part, but could not handle the actual holiday. I am back on and now seems like cake after getting through the holidays. I find best for me to take what I like and find new ways to work with it and to prep ahead. I have fallen in love with the cauliflower rice!! I love flavor and variety. I am trying new things too which I am finding that as I eliminate the things I cannot eat things I did not think I would eat are actually appealing. I see so many people achieving their goals it gives me hope and motivation to get through this!!! I am now 40 and both my children are in teenagers 16 and 17 1/2. I already have hypertension and high cholesterol and I am headed down the road for diabetes, which is what lead to my father passing. I felt the road I was travelling was headed in the same direction. The opportunity came up to do the program and I jumped on it! I hope the boards will be a great source of information and support.

Hello everyone!
I'm currently in the process of weaning my daughter after a year of breastfeeding but, between now and then I am currently gleaning information to follow the alternative IP plan for both my husband and I to follow. My brother has followed IP for 6 months and has lost 135lbs. I'm really inspired by him and REALLY looking forward to the upcoming weight loss. In the meantime I am gleaning information AND taking in all the positive and support from this site.

That's the way I feel. Today is Day 2 for me. Due to product availability, etc, I went in for a weigh-in today. Much to my surprise, after 1.5 days on IP, I'd lost over 6 pounds... and 4+ were FAT!
I don't know how that happened, but I'm thrilled!

Even my coach seemed really surprised.

I realize this was unusual success this week, and that weight loss won't continue at this pace (most likely, but I can hope!), so I'm nervous about what might happen or not happen.

I'm a 56-year-old woman in Texas. I'm in good health, no problems, thank goodness. I'm heavier than I've ever been. Well, as of today, I'm not!

I've tried many diets. I guess they all worked to some degree, but not completely.

Fat-free: worked pretty well, in combination with exercise. That was probably 15-20 years ago.
Fit for Life: nah. No weight loss.
Atkins: Didn't lose that much weight (perhaps 9 pounds?), but I lost a third of my hair. I'm scared that will happen on IP too. I take lots of supplements. Atkins felt like the White Trash diet to me and I craved oatmeal.
I'm not naturally much of a meat eater, and honestly, not a big simple carb eater either. I ate quinoa and amaranth and barley before it was fashionable.
Worked out 5x a week last year, and just maintained. Didn't lose. Even had a trainer.
HCG: Lost 25 pounds 3 years ago or so. Eventually gained it back.
Tried it again this year, got so worn out and my blood sugar went crazy low. Just couldn't handle it, and wasn't losing the way that I had before.
Fast Metabolism Diet: Good diet, makes sense, but was just too complicated for me at that point, changing what you eat every 2 days.

So, here I am at Ideal Protein, after a friend has lost 80 pounds in 6 months, without hunger.

Yesterday and last night, I had fatigue and intermittent chills. Today, just a bit earlier in the day. Tonight I seemed quite energetic.

If there's anything you wish you'd known in the beginning, what would it be?
What's the most frequently made newbie mistake?
Any tips for success?

That's the way I feel. Today is Day 2 for me. Due to product availability, etc, I went in for a weigh-in today. Much to my surprise, after 1.5 days on IP, I'd lost over 6 pounds... and 4+ were FAT!
I don't know how that happened, but I'm thrilled!

Even my coach seemed really surprised.

I realize this was unusual success this week, and that weight loss won't continue at this pace (most likely, but I can hope!), so I'm nervous about what might happen or not happen.

I'm a 56-year-old woman in Texas. I'm in good health, no problems, thank goodness. I'm heavier than I've ever been. Well, as of today, I'm not!

I've tried many diets. I guess they all worked to some degree, but not completely.

So, here I am at Ideal Protein, after a friend has lost 80 pounds in 6 months, without hunger.

Yesterday and last night, I had fatigue and intermittent chills. Today, just a bit earlier in the day. Tonight I seemed quite energetic.

If there's anything you wish you'd known in the beginning, what would it be?
What's the most frequently made newbie mistake?
Any tips for success?

Thanks for all of your sharing!

Welcome redmuse - glad you found us! Congrats on your big first few days - that's awesome!

The fatigue and chills are totally normal the first few days while your body adjusts although it sounds like you had been eating fairly low carb before IP and that might make things easier on you.

Best tip I can give you is to plan and prepare ahead: set up your menus in advance, cut up your veggies for the week ahead of time, have extra packets in your purse, car, etc. in case you get stuck (hey, life happens!). So much easier to stay IP if you are thinking ahead.

And read through all the stickies posted in the first post of the daily chat - lots of really good information and recipes in there. I've bookmarked most all the ones I keep going back to.

This is a great site to get support on - lots of very knowledgeable people.

I'm a newbie since November. My sister joined and has done amazing. She encouraged me to try this plan and suggested this sight so I can read challenges that others have had. It seems any questions or concerns I've had, have been answered when I search this sight. I love this plan, not only am I dropping weight quickly but am losing inches too. I feel smaller at this weight than I have when I lost weight on W.W a number of years ago. And I feel that maintenance, while scary, will be doable! Thanks everyone for all of your advice!

Hi everyone! Also a newbie here and these forums have helped a lot in making me decide to go on the IP diet. I'm now on day 3 and have stuck to the diet so far. I'm just worried though since I have birth control implants on (Implanon) if it will affect my IP diet?? When should one start losing?

Went for my consult and weigh in yesterday. 195.5 lbs starting weight. Started IP today. Had trouble eating all my lunch SO FULL! I've had tummy cramps, which were relieved by having some water with mangosteen!